RACECARDS
The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections for 25th January 2025

The Mandarin’s Cheltenham Trials Day Racecard and Selections from Doncaster & Fairyhouse
Cheltenham
Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase 12.40
Resplendent Grey
Progressive over hurdles last season, and made a winning to start to his chasing campaign when scoring at Uttoxeter. Although Resplendent Grey lost out to the useful Hyland here at the Autumn Festival, he was not disgraced when runner-up to Ben Pauling’s Handstands in the Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park. That was a decent Grade 2 contest, so dropped back into handicap company, every chance of notching up a second win over fences.
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) 1.15
East India Dock
There’s sure to be plenty of support for James Owen’s East India Dock for this Triumph Trial. This half-brother to the smart Burdett Road wouldn’t have to improve much from his win in the corresponding Triumph Trial here in November, bolting up by 18 lengths in very impressive fashion. Soft ground here does ask the question, though there’s form in the book on deeper ground when with James Fanshawe, but it has to be taken on trust that he’ll act on this. French import Sauvignon has gone to Paul Nicholls powerful Ditcheat yard, so is noted, while the progressive Quantock Hills makes the each-way angle, but East India Dock is the one to beat.
Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 1.50
Iroko
It could pay to side with Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero’s Iroko for this Handicap Chase. A previous winner around this track when landing the Martin Pipe at the 2023 Festival, his fifth in last year’s Turners Novices’ Chase suggests he’ll soon be back into graded company. Imperial Saint is a newcomer to Cheltenham, but is three from four over fences, while there has been plenty of support for Paul Nicholls Ginny’s Destiny in the markets this week, and these three complete the shortlist. Gemirande is a super each-way angle after taking the Gold Cup at the December meeting here, but Iroko gets our vote for the win.

Betfair Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) 2.25
L’homme Presse
A fascinating renewal but without last year’s winner, Capodanno, after Willie Mullins decided not make the trip over with concerns over travel. However, Mouse Morris’s Gentlemansgame has made the trip, and this classy Irish chaser rates the main threat to our selection, L’homme Presse. Venetia Williams’s lightly raced chaser was a decent fourth in the Blue Riband at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, so knows his way around this track. He’s two from three at Prestbury Park, having landed The Dipper at the New Year’s Day meeting in 2022, before bettering that to take the Brown Advisory at the Festival in March of that year. Holding an entry for the Gold Cup in March once again, L’homme Presse is easy to back for a third win around here, with Gentlemansgame to keep him honest.
Unibet Hurdle (Grade 2) 3.00
Constitution Hill
With winter storm Eowyn causing havoc with travel arrangements, we are deprived of the chance to see Lossiemouth take Nicky Henderson’s stable star on once again. It’s fair to say that Constitution Hill was pretty dominant when two and a half lengths ahead of Lossiemouth, to take his third Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, but Willie Mullins had been struggling to get race practice into some of his star performers throughout the mild autumn, so with the Dublin Racing Festival just next week, his string would be sure to be on peak form just now. Without Lossiemouth making it over, Constutution Hill is all but impossible to oppose, at a price to match, and should be winning this.
Betfair Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2) 3.35
Gowel Road (nb)
If it’s horses for courses here, then Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Gowel Road is surely deserving of a win at Prestbury Park. He’s has four starts this term, all around here, and has hit the bar on every one of them, latterly by just three-quarters of a length from Nicky Henderson’s Lucky Place, to add to the runners-up spot in the Handicap Hurdle here in December where he started at the top of the weights. Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo won the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot last time out, but seems to save his best for the Berkshire track, while Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader, so impressive in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November needs to bounce back from an underwhelming run in the Long Walk, and see if the subsequent wind op has made a difference. These are the three that rightly fill the top of the betting, but course experience and a bit of luck should see Gowel Road come out on top.
Ais Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 4.10
Potters Charm
Two from two around here, and very hard to argue against the appeal of Potters Charm for this Novices’ Hurdle. Unbeaten so far over timber, winning the Albert Bartlett Trial here at the Autumn meeting, before scoring in a Grade One at Aintree on Boxing Day, Nigel Twiston-Davies has the choice of the Supreme Novices’ or the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for his classy hurdler. Bill Joyce and Quebecois were the one-two in the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park last month, and both can make Potters Charm work for his money, but he’s very hard to back against.

Doncaster
Pertemps Network River Don Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2.05
Moon Rocket
This looks an ideal opportunity for Kim Bailey’s Moon Rocket to put some Black Tyoe into the form book. He was impressive enough at Southwell on New Year’s Day, though Tom Bellamy did seem to take a wide course in search of better ground, so it’s taken on trust that Doncaster doesn’t take too much of a hit from the winter storm prior to Saturday. Moon Rocket did land a maiden here in November, though Paul Nicholls’s Wicked Thoughts falling two out did rather gift him the race, but he’s on the hat-trick, and can serve it up to Joe Tizzard’s Western Knight and Emma Lavelle’s Ma Shantou.
Virgin Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2.40
Kateira
The in-form partnership of Dan and Harry Skelton can take this Grade 2 Mares’ Hurdle, chiefly at the expense of Jessica Harrington’s Irish raider, Jetara. After a fine fifth in the Long Walk at Ascot in December, Kateira has less on her plate here dropped in grade and back against her own sex, and is taken to score another Pattern success for the Skelton yard. Flatter tracks seem to be the key to getting the best out of this Kay Tara mare, so Kateira is the one to keep on side.
Virgin Bet Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3.15
The Changing Man
Joe Tizzard is filling his father Colin’s boots in every respect now it’s just his name above the door, and The Changing Man can notch up another winner for the Venn Farm stables. A half-length runner-up to the smart Victtorino in the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot last month is solid enough form for this, with Anthony Honeyball’s Forward Plan, runner-up in this last year rating the main threat, while Venetia Williams’s Frero Banbou looks to have more mileage at this sort of trip and appeals at a bigger price. The Changing Man for the win, but a forecast including Forward Plan and Frero Banbou looks a gimme.

Fairyhouse
SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle (Grade 3) 1.38
Aurora Vega (nap)
Bred in the purple, being by Walk In The Park and out of the brilliant Quevega, and embellished her reputation when making it two from three over timber here on New Year’s Day. Forgiven her run at Wexford that split the two wins, Aurora Vega looks the pick of the three Willie Mullins runners with Paul Townend in the chair, though Fancy Girl looked one going the right way when scoring at Cork in dominant fashion. That said, Paul Townend gets off Fancy Girl to keep the ride on Aurora Vega, so that’s where we’ll stick our pin.
The Mandarin
